Namo Tassa Bhagawato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa
Thank Sriman Yash RS for the post and Gad, Tobi, Dawson and of course our beloved Lal Sir for participating in this critical post.
If ok, the following may be considered for further discussion to understand better its meditative aspects.
Lal Sir: The critical point here is that the receptiors in a pig’s tongue are wired differently from those in a human’s.
- Thus, while a piece of rotten meat will taste great for a pig, it tastes yucky/disgusting for a human.
- In the same way, rotten meat or feces will smell bad for a pig, but a human finds that smell repulsive.
- It is just a matter of how sensory receptors are wired differently in a pig versus a human.
I would like to start with “iccha” as liking. In my land it is called “isttham”. I like (istham) “X” very much.
I would also like to suggest that for the purposes of the discussion, unless it becomes too illogical, we may use iccha to encompass different intensities or its other family members, such as raga and lobha, as well as different modes and combinations, such as Kama raga and so on.
Seeing a pig eating feces, and myself liking different things, the first lesson I can learn is iccha has the quality to make one blind.
Isn’t that what I see when I see the Pig cherishing feces? In a similar vein, I, too, am blind; I like to smoke, etc.
No matter what, I want it (X, Y, Z). I know it’s wrong! but I want it! These are some standard templates of its (blindness) manifestations.
Then such blindness also points to being afflicted(with blindness), suffering from a disease, or being blindly carried away by the flood—all of which can be summed up under “Dukkha.”
The third sign, which is evident, is a sense of “distaste” behind all tastes (viraga). Pigs like to eat feces, I like to eat ice cream, and cows like to eat grass—isn’t there a sense of “distaste” in “liking some taste”?
Throughout the day or years, I have a liking for different feelings that originate from the body.
in one of the sub-commentaries, I read a line that says like flies which come running to dirt and feces, my eyes go running after body parts of the other gender…..
There is a sense of distatse, repungence in “liking a taste”. . In my telugu language there is a perfectly fitting word- “Vegatu”.
For example, you continue eating sweet(s), and after some rounds, it tastes/gets “vegatu”!
So 3 things are evident in “ichham for sensual pleasures”: Blindness, Dukkha, and a Sense of Distaste.
Is it logical? Sirs?.
Are these signs helpful in achieving a better sense of freedom and awareness in our lives? How do we develop them further? Does it constitute a practice? Are these 3 traits something that can be concretely seen and developed, and where do they eventually resolve or point to? Is there any aspect that I am missing? Import? The bigger picture?
That is it sir, then ….please add, correct, and improve
